A beautiful allegory of an artist's journey

Rating: 9/10 (4 August 2000)

This magnificent metaphoric film is not for everyone. It is poetic and symbolic and therefore not to be seen in the usual literal narrative terms...which may confound some. For me it was a lyrical and profound cinematic experience, by far the best film of 1998. An infant is found on a ship (already a mythic theme) and lives his entire life aboard this ocean liner, named "1900" after the year he was born. As an adult he has a prodigious talent as a pianist...a natural...performing in the ship's dining saloon for passengers (in the 20s and 30s...marvelous authentic costuming). Tornatore's writing and direction, its imaginative images, the development of the character of the artist as a visionary, an outsider are remarkable and courageously innovative, never a trite or easy depiction.In general terms (though without the humor) "The Horse's Mouth" comes to mind, another brilliant evocation of the outsider artist (more direct and less philosophic than"The Legend"). If you haven't seen it, and love this sort of film, by all means, rent it!!!